Wire coiling device



Nov. 5, 1963 HANS-ULRICH SOHR WIRE COILING DEVICE Filed March 9. 1961 United States Patent Ofiice lhidlls Patented 5, i963 P illi $78 WERE CQELENG DEVKQE Hans-Ulrich Sohr, ciieubachweg, Nassau (Latin), Germany Filed Mar. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 94,642 12 Claims. (Cl. l53-67) This invention relates in general to coiling devices and in particular to a new and useful device for the manufacture of continuous coils of material from various substances.

The present invention finds particular application in the manufacture of coils from synthetic materials and particularly for further use in connection with the manufacture of slide fastening elements or rows of such elements. Prior to the present invention, devices of this nature include complicated mechanisms which require the movement or rotation of larges masses and, of necessity, such mechanism has to be accurately balanced in order to assure a uniform rotation of the various elements. This necessitated the addition or" counter balancing weights or other means to insure that the equipment operated satisfactorily.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel means for coiling or twisting a continuous length of ma erial with an improved mechanism which operates at great rotational speed without diificulty to in sure a completely torque-free coiled end product. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a coiling mechanism which includes a rod upon which the material is coiled and a rotatable guide sleeve which is mounted for rotation through a path around said winding rod. The arrangement of the mechanism is such that the guide sleeve rotates around the rod in a timed manner and easy feeding of the material being coiled is effected from the top edge or" the guide sleeve onto the lower portion of the winding rod.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, the winding rod and the guide sleeve are mounted on a common cover plate in an end of a cylindrical member which is provided with an eccentric drive for rotating the guide sleeve around the Winding rod. Suitable gearing is provided between the guide sleeve and the winding rod to effect the desired rotative rotation of these members as the material is being Wound on the Winding rod.

A further feature of the invention is that a feed tube is arranged in a manner permitting lateral reciprocation of the tube as the guide sleeve is rotated. The feed tube is disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of the guide sleeve for feeding the material from the feed tube into the guide sleeve. With the mechanism arranged as described, it is possible to provide a very elliciently operating device made from inexpensive parts which are assembled in a novel manner to eilect excellent winding of the material onto the winding rod. The effect of the gearing connection between the winding rod and the guide sleeve is to maintain the rod relatively stationary as the guide sleeve revolves therearound. The feed-in tube is mounted for reciprocation by an eccentric so that it is displaced in timed sequence with the rotation of the guide sleeve. Under such conditions, each advance or rearward movement of: the guide sleeve relative to the feed tube will be compensated for by lateral displacement of the feed tube. This insures that the material being wound on the Winding rod will be wound without any twisting or kinking since the tension is maintained on the material throughout the winding process.

A feature of the construction is the arrangement of the foot of the winding rod with respect to the guide plate. The foot of the winding rod includes a conical-shaped portion having sloping walls which align with the line of feed of the material from the edge of the sleeve to the bottom of the winding rod.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the feed tube is provided with a brake which is arranged about the center of the path of feed of the material through the feed tube.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved coiling device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winding device including a rotatable winding bar and means for supporting a guiding sleeve for rotation about its path extending around said winding rod, the relative rotation of the guiding sleeve and the winding being such so as to effect an even winding of the material on the winding rod which is fed through the guiding sleeve.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for the manufacture of continuous coils of material, such as from synthetic substance, including means rotatably supporting a winding rod and a guide sleeve for rotation in a path around the winding rod, and including a feed tube arranged to feed a continuous length of wire material through said guiding sleeve and onto said winding rod, the arrangement being such that the material is directed around the rod by the relative movement of the guide sleeve in respect thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coiling device including a single mounting ararngement for rotatably supporting a winding rod and a rotatable guide sleeve, and for effecting the movement of a guide sleeve in a path around said winding rod, and further including an elongated feed tube disposed substantially perpendicular to the guide rod and arranged to reciprocate in timed relationship to the movement of the guide sleeve around the winding rod, the wire material being fed through the feed tube and the guide sleeve and then wound around the winding rod as the various rotations and reciprocations of the parts are eil'ected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winding device which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic transverse section of a filament material winding device constructed in accordance with the invention; and

PEG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein includes an open cylinder or pot-shaped housing generally designated 1 which is stationarily supported and includes a bottom 25 in which is rotatably supported a drive shaft 2. The drive shaft 2 carries a discshaped element 3 at its outer end which carries a fixed pin 5 on which is rotatable a cylindrical body member or piece 6. The cylindrical piece 6 is provided with a large hollow central interior space 8 and the upper end carries a vertically elongated guide sleeve 9 which communicates interiorly with the central interior space 8. The cylindrical body is rotatably mounted on ball bearings 39 on the pin 5.

The cylinder 1 is closed at the top end by a cover memher 4 which is rotatably journaled in the end of the cylind er on bearings 32. The guide sleeve 9 is rotatably journaled in the cover member 4 on bearings 11 which are provided in a recess or bore 10. The cover member 4 3 is therefore rotated via the guide sleeve in the same direction as the disc element 3 by the shaft 2.

The cover 4 rotatably carries centrally and in alignment with the drive shaft 2 a rotatable body or winding head 12 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 34 in the cover member 4. The winding head 12 includes a cylindrical lower portion capped by a frusto conical intermediate portion 26 and with an upstanding winding bar portion 13. The lower end of the moving head 12 includes a depending shaft 36 which carries a pinion 14 below the cover 4-. The pinion 14 meshes with a transition pinion 16 mounted on a depending shaft journaled in the cover 4 and the latter in turn is in meshing engagement with a pinion 7 which is secured to the guide sleeve 9. The gearing connection between the guide sleeve and the winding head 12 is such that the sleeve revolves around the winding head and the winding head remains relatively stationary in respect thereto.

A horizontally elongated feed pipe 17 extends at one end through an opening in the cylindrical body 6 in communication with the interior space 8. The opposite end extends through an opening or slot 38 in the cylindrical member 1 and is guided in an opening on a pivotal guide member 18 which is mounted on the end of a disc member 20 which is driven by a shaft at in timed relationship to the rotation of the shaft 2. Rotation of the guide sleeve 9 about the axis of the shaft 2 causes reciprocation of the feed tube 17 and this reciprocation is accommodated by the rotation of the shaft 40. V

The feed tube 17 includes an intermediate opening 22 through which material, such as synthetic wire, wire thread, etc., A is fed from a spool supply 24. The material A is alternately threaded around spaced rods or guide bars 42 of a braking device 21 provided adjacent the end of the feed tube. The material is then guided around a deviation roll 23 and threaded back through the rods 42 of the braking device at a level above the incoming feed, and thence directed around the end of the tube in the space 8 and up through the guide sleeve 9 and around the winding rod 13.

Upon rotation of the drive disc 3 the pin 5 is rotated around the axis of shaft 2 together with the cylindrical body 6 and the guide sleeve h. The rotation of the guide sleeve 9 about the axis of shaft 2 also causes it to rotate relatively about the winding rod 13. Therefore, the wireshaped material A is wound onto the rod 13 as it is guided through the sleeve 9 and the feed tube 17. The cylindrical body 6 and the guide plate 9, since they are rotatably mounted about the pin 5, will not be displaced or distorted with respect to the takeup and to the winding rod 13. The entrance of the feed pipe 17 into the body 6 and the rotatable mounting of the body 6 on pin 5 prevents misalignment of the feed pipe with the guide sleeve during winding and insures that the material A is uniformly guided during the rotation of disc 5 and the winding of the material onto the rod 13. The mechanism performs, therefore, during each revolution a balanced, advanced and rearward movement which obviates any formation of twist in the material A.

The upper end of the guide sleeve 9 is advantageously located slightly above the cover 4 and in alignment with the conical face 26 of the head assembly 12 so that the material A runs up along the walls of the conical member to the lower portion of the winding rod in a smooth, wellguided fashion.

Since the shaft extension 36 of the winding head 12 is connected via the gearings 14, 16 and 7 with the cylindrical piece 6 the winding head 12 does not participate in the rotational movement of the cover and remains relatively non-rotatable except for accommodating any torsional movement between the parts.

The feed tube, which includes the braking means 21, functions to insure that the material is not fed through at an undue rate for any reason during the operation of the device. The takeup roll or spool 24 is rotatably l mounted, preferably adjacent the center of the path of movement of the bore 22, in order to obtain uniform drawing pull on the wire lengths.

The device thus described provides a mechanism which requires the rotation of a minimum amount of large masses and includes mechanisms which are arranged to effect easy feeding of the wire-like material without twisting or imparting any torsional stress to the material as it is being wound into a smooth coiled formation. In some instances, it is desirable to apply heat to the winding bar 13 in order to obtain a desired heating reaction on the material which is being wound. This would be true particularly in respect to the winding of synthetic material, for example.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A wire coiling device comprising a rod, a member rotatable about an axis concentric to said rod and rotatably supporting said rod, a guide sleeve rotatably held by said member and rotatable therewith in a path around said rod upon rotation of said member, means for directing a continuous length of wire to and through said guide sleeve and to said rod including a feed tube reciprocatably mounted adjacent said guide sleeve, and means for rotating said member to move said guide sleeve around said rod and to reciprocate said feed tube in definite timed relationship to effect coiling of said wire material on said rod.

2. A wire coiling device according to claim 1, wherein said rod includes a lower frusto-conical portion disposed at a level above the top of said guide sleeve, the wire material being fed from said guide sleeve to said rod at a location substantially in alignment with the sides of said frusto-conical portion.

3. A wire coiling device according to claim 1, wherein said feed tube includes braking means therein.

4. A wire coiling device according to claim 1, wherein said feed tube includes means for reversing the direction of feed of said Wire as it is being fed.

5. A wire coiling device comprising a rotatable mounting member, means supporting said member for rotation about its axis, a rod rotatably mounted on said member, a guide sleeve mounted on said member for rotation about its own axis at a location removed from the rotatable axis of said member, means to feed a continuous length of wire through said sleeve and around said rod, including a feed tube disposed substantially perpendicular to said guide sleeve, the wire being fed through said tube, drive means connected to said sleeve, said member and said rod to effect relative rotation therebetween in timed relationship and coiling of said wire around said rod, and means for rotating said mounting member with said guide sleeve around said rod and to reciprocate said feed tube in timed relationship.

6. A wire coiling device according to claim 5, wherein said drive means includes gearing on each of said sleeve and said rod.

7. A wire coiling device according to claim 5, wherein said feed tube has an opening intermediate its length, said means to feed said continuous length of wire further including means to direct the wire through the opening of said feed tube and means to guide said wire downwardly along one end of said feed tube and into the other end and through said guide sleeve.

8. A wire coiling device comprising a rotatable mounting cover, a cylindrical member rotatably supporting said cover member at one end thereof, a rod rotatably mounted on said cover member for rotation about the same axis as said member, a guide sleeve mounted on said cover member for rotation about its own axis at a location removed from the axis of rotation of said cover member,

5 a rotatable disc member mounted for rotation about an axis in alignment with the axis of said rod, said disc member having a pin thereon at a spaced location from the axis of rotation of said disc, a cylindrical body rotatably mounted on said pin and supporting said guide sleeve, said cylindrical body having an opening therein, an elongated feed tube disposed at an angle substantially perpendicular to said guide sleeve and being axially reciprocatable in the opening of said cylindrical body, means for guiding a continuous length of wire material through said feed tube, said guide sleeve, and around said rod, and means to rotate said disc and reciprocate said feed tube in timed relationship to eifect coiling of said Wire around said rod.

9. A wire coiling device according to claim 8, includin a gear affixed to said guide sleeve and said rod for driving relationship to effect relative rotation of said guide sleeve around said rod.

10. A coiling device according to claim 8, wherein, said feed tube includes braking means therein.

1]. A wire coiling device according to claim 8, wherein the lower portion of said rod includes a head having a frusto-conical portion, said guide sleeve being mounted in a position to direct the wire to said frusto-conical portion of said rod.

12. A device for coiling wire on a rod comprising a member rotatably supporting said rod, a sleeve for guiding wire to said rod rotatably mounted on said member with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rod and having one end adjacent said rod and an opposite end extending away from said rod, a reciprocatable feed tube having an end disposed adjacent the end of said sleeve located away from said rod and extending substantially perpendicular to said sleeve, means to feed wire material through said feed tube and said sleeve to said rod, and means to rotate said member to cause a sleeve to rotate around said rod and means to reciprocate said feed tube to maintain its end adiacent said seeve during rotation of said sleeve around said rod.

References ilited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 5,623 Netherlands Mar. 15, 1921 

1. A WIRE COILING DEVICE COMPRISING A ROD, A MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS CONCENTRIC TO SAID ROD AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ROD, A GUIDE SLEEVE ROTATABLY HELD BY SAID MEMBER AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH IN A PATH AROUND SAID ROD UPON ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER, MEANS FOR DIRECTING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF WIRE TO AND THROUGH SAID GUIDE SLEEVE AND TO SAID ROD INCLUDING A FEED TUBE RECIPROCATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID GUIDE SLEEVE, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MEMBER TO MOVE SAID GUIDE SLEEVE AROUND SAID ROD AND TO RECIPROCATE SAID FEED TUBE IN DEFINITE TIMED RELATIONSHIP TO EFFECT COILING OF SAID WIRE MATERIAL ON SAID ROD. 